The present invention relates in general to adjusting game racket string tension and more particularly concerns novel apparatus and techniques for simultaneously adjusting both main and cross string tension with relatively little additional structure that negligibly interferes with the weight and balance of the racket while remaining playable over a wide range of tension adjustments.
It is known in the prior art that game racket strings may be tightened by adjusting a yoke in the racket throat generally of a shape that conforms to the opposed inside racket portions abutting the yoke and supporting main strings at the top of the yoke so that drawing the yoke towards the handle lengthens the main strings to increase their tension and widens the racket frame to tighten the cross strings as described in British Pat. No. 28,838 accepted Dec. 31, 1903.
Much time and effort has been expended in adapting this approach to rackets described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,512 and 3,664,669 with coinventor Latham of these patented commercially successful inventions. Merely drawing the yoke of the above patents toward the handle to effect string tightening was found to be unacceptable in terms of providing a playable racket with string tension adjustable and maintainable over a reasonable range.
Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide improved methods and means for adjusting string tension in game rackets.
It is another object of the invention to achieve the preceding object while overcoming problems inherent in merely moving a conventional yoke to effect string tension adjustment.
It is still a further object of the invention to achieve one or more of the preceding objects while providing string tension adjustment over a reasonable range, maintaining the selected tension and playability of the racket.
It is another object of the invention to achieve one or more of the preceding objects with a game racket of good weight and balance.
It is a further object of the invention to achieve one or more of the preceding objects with structure that is relatively easy and inexpensive to fabricate, assemble and adjust.